Bay Health Foundation was formed after hospital sale

The Bay Health Foundation was formed after Bay Medical Center Board was sold.

News Herald file photo

By MATTHEW BEATON / The News Herald

Published: Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 06:08 PM.

PANAMA CITY — Bay County Commissioners want one of their own on the Bay Health Foundation — but when and how that will happen is unclear.

The commission made its opinion known at a meeting last week where it tabled two appointments to the foundation, formerly the Bay Medical Center Board of Trustees. The organization changed names and duties after the hospital was leased to a private company in 2012.

The foundation now oversees the employee pension fund, the hospital lease agreement and the disbursement of proceeds from the lease, said Commissioner Guy Tunnell, in an interview. The lease agreement generated $154 million in up-front money, more than covering the hospital’s $120 million debt.

Commissioners Tunnell and Mike Thomas have led the charge to get a commissioner on the foundation. But there’s a problem. The commission has only one appointment — foundation chairman Don Connor — on the nine-member board, and he has two years left on his term.

“I think we need somebody on there right now,” Thomas said Thursday.

Andy Stein, president and CEO of Summit Bank in Panama City, is up for a second four-year term and Harold Bazzel, a retired county clerk of the court, is up for his first term. The nominations were made at the foundation’s Oct. 29 meeting.

In interviews Thursday, Connor and foundation vice chairwoman Frieda “Tink” Warren stressed Stein’s importance to the board because of his knowledge as a banker.

PANAMA CITY — Bay County Commissioners want one of their own on the Bay Health Foundation — but when and how that will happen is unclear.

The commission made its opinion known at a meeting last week where it tabled two appointments to the foundation, formerly the Bay Medical Center Board of Trustees. The organization changed names and duties after the hospital was leased to a private company in 2012.

The foundation now oversees the employee pension fund, the hospital lease agreement and the disbursement of proceeds from the lease, said Commissioner Guy Tunnell, in an interview. The lease agreement generated $154 million in up-front money, more than covering the hospital’s $120 million debt.

Commissioners Tunnell and Mike Thomas have led the charge to get a commissioner on the foundation. But there’s a problem. The commission has only one appointment — foundation chairman Don Connor — on the nine-member board, and he has two years left on his term.

“I think we need somebody on there right now,” Thomas said Thursday.

Andy Stein, president and CEO of Summit Bank in Panama City, is up for a second four-year term and Harold Bazzel, a retired county clerk of the court, is up for his first term. The nominations were made at the foundation’s Oct. 29 meeting.

In interviews Thursday, Connor and foundation vice chairwoman Frieda “Tink” Warren stressed Stein’s importance to the board because of his knowledge as a banker.

“We need a banker for sure,” Warren said.

The foundation put forward two appointments because the necessary action was not taken to get a commissioner nominated, Warren said

“Nobody stepped up to the plate, so that’s why we went ahead and started making nominations,” she said.

Warrensaid Bazzel would be an asset, but the foundation likely would go along with the commission’s desires if they wanted a commissioner appointed instead of him.

“But they (the commissioners) should have taken care of this when it came up. I mean you just don’t let things like that slide forever,” she said.

Connor spoke with less certainty about his position on putting a commissioner up instead of Bazzel. He said he was not against it but wanted to talk with other foundation members before giving a definitive position.

On Thursday, Bazzel said he was willing to step aside and allow a commissioner to take the seat.

“Oh absolutely, I didn’t ask to serve on this board,” he said. “I was approached and said that I would be happy and honored to serve.”

Bazzel said he has plenty of other things to do, including spending time with his grandson.

Both Thomas and Tunnell were quick to say they had no problem with the appointments, only they want a commissioner on the foundation.

“I’d hate to have either one of them to postpone their (appointment) until another vacancy comes up, so I’m not sure what is going to happen,” Tunnell said.

Countywants information, not control

Tunnell and Thomas said they would prefer the commission’s chairman serve on the foundation. George Gainer holds the post currently, though it rotates among the commissioners.

“We would like someone on the special district board (the foundation) representing the interests of the County Commission,” Tunnell said.

Also Tunnell gave other options to get a commissioner on the foundation immediately. He said Connor, the commission’s appointment, could step down, though he is not pushing for that. He said the commission does not have the authority to remove Connor — even if it wanted to — only the governor could do that.

Another idea is doing “horse trading” with the appointments, Tunnell said. The commission could swap a later appointment to get a commissioner on the foundation immediately.

Meanwhile, Thomas has set up a meeting with one of the foundation members and has a call out to another. He would not give their names, but said he wants to work something out. He said it is important the commission have a direct line to the foundation.

“I don’t think the County Commission wants any control over what’s happening — I know I don’t — I just want to make sure we have the knowledge of what’s going on,” he said.

Thomas said this knowledge is not being given to the commission in “real time.” He said the commission needs a representative on the foundation, so it knows what is happening on there and can give informed responses to its constituents.

“We’re all pretty aggravated about the fact that we’re not getting information — and accurate information — that we think we ought to have,” he said.

But Gainer does not see this as a worthwhile pursuit.

“I don’t think it matters at this point because we pretty much gave up any real decision making (power) there a long time ago,” he said.

Gainer said the commission’s appointment should be one of its own, but it will not make a difference — “not at this point because the cow is out of the barn.”